Erlam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Erlam family

The surname Erlam was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Erlam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Erlam research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Erlam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Erlam Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Erlam include Irlam, Erlam, Earlam, Earlem, Irlem, Erlem, Ellam and others.

Early Notables of the Erlam family

More information is included under the topic Early Erlam Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Erlam migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Erlam or a variant listed above:

Erlam Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Erlam, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1777 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Erlam (post 1700) +

Andy Erlam, Labour Party Candidate in the 2001 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire election

Sources +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)